GRAPHIC CONTENT: DAVID BUIRSKI’S SERIOUS STAPH INFECTION

Current EFC welterweight champion David Buirski recently contracted a bad case of staph!

Staph infections are caused by the staphylococcus bacteria, a germ often found on human skin. Usually the bacteria is harmless, part of our normal skin flora. Sometimes it can cause skin infections, like boils and impetigo, usually treatable with topical antibiotics. In bad cases, however, staph, particularly drug-resistant strains called MRSA, can cause deep, lasting infections that become abscesses. Left untreated these infections can lead to blood poisoning, toxic shock syndrome, and septic arthritis.

We caught up with the champion to see how he’s doing.

Question: So when did you start to notice something was going wrong?

It pretty much started the Tuesday of the fight week when I realised a small bump come up on my arm!

Question: What did you think it was at first?

I didn’t think much of it because of the way it started. It just seemed like it was a small pimple or boil which I didn’t really pay much attention to.

Question: Is it painful?

Yes, it gets painful the longer you leave it. By the night of the fight, my forearm was significantly swollen and even trying to lean on say a counter top or something was painful. Anything that touched it or bumped it was quite sore!

Question: So what’s the treatment/recovery process? Did they have to operate?

Well I believe I was mistreated at first by negligent doctors at the Little Company of Mary Hospital in Pretoria the Sunday after my fight, I believe if it was not for their negligence it would not have become what it was. But to get to your question, I had to be operated on twice in order to remove the abscess it caused in my foreman. I had a 7cm x 3cm abscess within the foreman that needed to be removed. I was on a number of antibiotics as well. The recovery is going well but the longest and most irritating part is waiting for the skin to grow back over the wound which is rather frustrating.

Question: When can we expect you to compete again?

As soon as the wound is healed I’ll get back to training and I definitely hope to be fighting again by just after mid-year. I’ve been in discussions with EFC planning ahead and if what we discussed comes to light, it’s going to be pretty exciting for not only me but the fans as well!!

So stay tuned and follow my comeback and recovery on all my social media platforms!